I was wondering if someone can tell me if I can use SQLBackup with an SAP database. I know that it is technically possible, but I have heard that SAP are very particular about 3rd Party products touching their systems.

Has anyone here got any experience with this, or can the people from Redgate confirm that the tool is "allowed" to be used on SAP?

Providing that the database used is Microsoft SQL Server and SQL Backup has sufficient security permissions, I suspect there will be no issues backing up the database.

You need to be aware of the SAP specific stuff outside of the SQL database, for example, logins and permissions. System objects or other objects that the SAP adds to the database. Restoring or recovery of the database and restarting or reconnecting the SAP software.

We have no experience dealing with SAP databases, therefore I STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you test SQL Backup with SAP in a test environment before installing SQL Backup to your production server or servers.

SAP said that we can use it at our own risk, as your tool is not certified by SAP - that might be a good idea for you guys to do. SAP Backups are just stupid big!! Maybe they want to wait for 2k8 with native compression?

My boss would like to know how "safe" SQLBackup is. I read on your website that you are a Microsoft Gold Partner. To make my boss and our MDs happy, they would like to know if SQLBackup is certified/licensed (or whatever) with Microsoft to determine supportability.

To help you understand how Red Gate SQL Backup performs a backup, I have added some simple notes to explain the similarities between a backup performed by native SQL Server backup and one performed by Red Gate SQL Backup:

1. SQL Backup makes use of the SQL Server Virtual Device Interface(VDI), that Microsoft supply for third party backup / restore software to communicate with SQL Server.

2. When you perform a backup using native SQL Server, you issue a T-SQL BACKUP command to SQL Server, with the relevant options set.

SQL Server then generates the relevant backup data and writes them out to disk or tape.

3. When you perform a backup using SQL Backup, SQL Backup issues a T-SQL BACKUP command to SQL Server, with the relevant options. The command is almost similar to that used when using native SQL Server backup. One difference is that instead of the DISK option, SQL Backup uses the VIRTUAL_DEVICE option e.g.
BACKUP DATABASE pubs TO VIRTUAL_DEVICE = '<some unique value>' WITH DIFFERENTIAL

4. SQL Server then generates the relevant backup data, but does not write it out to disk or tape. Instead, it informs SQL Backup where the backup data can be found. SQL Backup then compresses this data, optionally encrypts it, and writes it out to disk.

5. The backup data is generated by SQL Server in all cases. SQL Backup does not generate any backup data.

6. The backup data that is generated by SQL Server is identical in both the above cases.

7. Because the backup data is identical, you can perform the same tasks using SQL Backup as you would using native SQL Server backups e.g.

thanks again for the info. We are already among your (very) happy customers and use SQLBackup on 5 SQL Servers with about 25 databases.

We are currently struggling with the SAP databases as the native backups are already 190GB. We have tested SQLBackup on our testbed and had no problems, but being as it is SAP (Accounting part) the MDs and my IT Manager are a bit shakey about the robustness of SQLBackup.

I am perfectly happy with your product, I am just trying to get some sort of info to placate them. Like I wrote before; you are Gold Partners with Microsoft. My manager asked me to find out if SQLBackup is certified by Microsoft as being 100% compatible (or something similar along those lines).

This sort of information would be enough for them to say that the MS-Certificate is "good enough", even if SAP don't allow the use of SQLBackup.

My name is Simon Johnson and I am the Deputy Head of Sales at Red Gate. SQL Backup is not certified by Microsoft. Although we are probably the most prominent ISV (independent software vendor) in the SQL Server space, we're completely independent of Microsoft, and Microsoft has no equity or stake in Red Gate. We do, however, have a very close relationship with people at Microsoft, due to the nature of our business, and this helps us to understand each other's technology.

wd wrote:I was wondering if someone can tell me if I can use SQLBackup with an SAP database. I know that it is technically possible, but I have heard that SAP are very particular about 3rd Party products touching their systems.

Just to add to the other postings: SQL Backup only accesses SQL Server data through supported APIs. As such, I can't imagine why this would cause any issue with SAP.

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Last edited by sanjuly on Sat Jul 10, 2010 9:33 am, edited 1 time in total.